Causes and Treatment of Back Pain

Sudden or chronic physical pain or discomfort occurring anywhere on the spine or back, ranging from mild to disabling is known as back pain. Back pain can be both acute or chronic.
• Acute pain starts suddenly and lasts for up to 6 weeks.
• Chronic or long-term pain :- Back pain that remains for more than 3 months or comes and goes often is called chronic back pain. It develops over a longer period and causes ongoing problems.

Causes of back pain

Lack of exercise
Exercise is the single most important factor maintaining the health of our spine. Regular back exercises strengthen our muscles so that they can withstand the stress of our daily activities. Not doing back exercises is a sure shot way to invite early back pain.

Diseases and disorders (Structural problems)


Prolapsed disc : The disc between the two vertebral bodies can prolapse into the spinal canal compressing on the spinal cord or the traversing roots causing back pain or leg pain.
Spondylosis: Wear and tear of the vertebral bodies occurs with ageing, causing decrease in disc space. Abnormal bone formation occurs (osteophytes) which can impinge on the nerve roots causing pain
Abnormal curvature: Abnormal curvature of the spine in the frontal or sagittal plane can cause back pain and discomfort. An example is scoliosis, in which the spine curves to the side.
Osteoporosis: Age related loss of calcium from bones of the spine is an important cause of back pain after 60 years of age, especially in females. Severe cases of osteoporosis are at high risk of compression fracture of the vertebral bodies.

Posture

Improper posture is the most common cause of back pain. Adopting a bad posture while working causes excess strain on the back ligaments and muscles which leads to chronic pain. Sitting in one place for long hours is detrimental to long term health of our spine.
When to see a doctor?
We normally get relief from back pain with home remedies. rest, over the counter analgesics and hot compression should help in most of the non complicated cases. But one should seek see a doctor immediately if he/she is experiencing any numbness or tingling, or back pain that does not improve with rest, or is accompanied with weakness, fever, numbness in legs or weight loss.
Treatment
Back pain is better prevented than treated
● Regular back exercises
● Maintain ideal body weight
● Proper posture while sitting, lifting weights

Back pain can be treated after identifying the cause.
• Surgical and other medical procedures
• Medication like over the counter pain reliever, muscle relaxants etc.
• Physical therapy or physiotherapy

Role of physiotherapy in low back pain
Physiotherapy is a non surgical treatment which aims at decreasing back , improve the functioning and teach the patient a maintenance program to prevent future back pain or problems.

Physical therapy or physiotherapy is highly recommended to the people suffering from low back pain. Physiotherapy is one of the most widely used forms of treatment adopted for gaining relief from low back pain. It is used in both modes, as a single line of treatment as well as in combination with other treatments such as massage, heat, traction, ultrasound or short wave diathermy.

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